Stormwater Fee on Agenda

In
addition to regular charges for water and sewer usage, the Henderson
City Commission in Henderson, kentucky, will consider approving the
addition of a monthly flat stormwater fee for Henderson Water Utility
(HWU) customers.

Customers with 3/4-inch, oneinch and
one-and-one-fourthinch water meters, as most single-family private
residences and businesses have, would see $5 monthly charges for
stormwater. Most HWU customers would fall into the $5 bracket. Those
with oneand-a-half-inch meters would pay $10, while two-inch meter
customers would be billed at a flat rate of $25 for stormwater.

Fee Hike

The
Metro Council in Nashville, Tennessee, voted unanimously by voice to
advance a stormwater fee hike, intended to address a backlog of $207
million in stormwater needs. The overhaul puts a greater financial
burden on Nashville’s largest commercial and residential property owners
than existing rates.

Mayor Megan Barry’s proposal,
which requires a third and final vote next month, would raise
stormwater fees for 85% of Nashville's homeowners, and three out of
every four businesses in town.

How much will depend
on a property's amount of impervious surface area, which includes
things like rooftops, parking lots, sidewalks and driveways that limit
the entry of water. The majority of Nashville property owners pay a $3
monthly stormwater fee under the current model; that would double to $6
under Barry's plan. Fee rates for the city's smallest property owners
would remain unchanged.

In many ways, we are fortunate that, in our chosen profession, we are able to help people when certain disasters occur: the tornadoes in Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Georgia, the flooding in Louisiana, the snows in the northeastern part of the country, the rain in California, and the snow in Colorado....

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